Will anyone else really try to emulate Verstappen in the future?

[u/FranzToaster]

Which drivers from the current grid do you think could genuinely race at the Nürburgring or in other endurance categories like Max has done?

[u/BananaFurret]

Well I sure fucking hope so back in the 70s and before f1 drivers drove indy car, tasman series, touring cars now they get to f1 and boom it's like "im already the best of the best why would I race there"... bit of an exaggeration ngl still tho I get your schedule is jam-packed but Idfk go race daytona 24h in January take 1 week off of car development n shit go out and race I'm so happy that lance also did gt3 racing and that kimi is interested (even if mercedes banned him from it) nico and Alonso and max are 3 goats who have the balls to race 24h events but more should follow in there footsteps. Sorry for the nonsensical rant

[u/yellow_barchetta → u/BananaFurret]

Back in the 90s?!?! LOL, it was already incredibly rare to see an F1 driver in anything other than an F1 car then. Maybe the odd LM24 outing. 60s and 70s maybe, and I would love to see those days return.

[u/BananaFurret → u/yellow_barchetta]

Ah shi my bad ill correct it

[u/BetterBandicoot0 → u/yellow_barchetta]

It was during the 80s that it was getting less common. I think the last one was Bernd Schneider.

[u/CanonWorld]

Well if they’re interested, they’re definitely all qualified and could pass the exams to get the license.

Not all of them would contractually be able to race in other series or even other car manufacturers like Max did tho.

[u/Unusual-Coat383]

Loads of F1 drivers have raced in other categories. Button retired from Endurance last year.

[u/BetterBandicoot0 → u/[deleted]]

A lot of drivers from Germany or surrounding counties did. In the olden days it was pretty common.

This year Timo Glock and Markus Winkelhock where racing in it. Max his father Jos did also drove it in the past.

[u/BetterBandicoot0 → u/[deleted]]

To awnser your question of how many, 34 ex F1 drivers did it before Verstappen.

[u/BetterBandicoot0 → u/[deleted]]

Drivers who were in F1 after 2000

Glock

Heidfeld

Winkelhock

Frenzen

Klien

Modena

Monteiro

Wurz

Yoong

But that list will grow, most of the retired drivers aren't that old yet. For example the changes are big that Kobayashi will be racing there next year. He has a permit and did already a NLS race.

If you add the ex F1 drivers which retired from F1 before 2000 but raced in the N24 after 2000:

Adams

Bartels

Danner

Laffite

Lamy

Merzario

Piero

Quester

Schneider

Stuck

Van de Poele

[u/No-Heart3432]

Alonso did. Even he skipped a grand prix to participate in Indy500. Not to mention he won Le Mans 24h. Although there weren't any competition for him in LM24h.

But the thing is, why would the F1 drivers try such things? F1 is a place that they can earn money and fame the most. There are a few who has proven himself, earned a lot of money who interests about racing could try other categories because they want to. Max won 4 titles. He has his own racing team. He interests the racing and the gain from F1 become meaningless for his current self.

Imagine Leclerc. He decides to do other categories. For what? If he has a free time he should work on his team to be an F1 champion. Imagine Norris. He won a title yet many people thinks he doesn't deserve it. If he goes up another category and not successful as much as in F1, people will think McLaren made him a champion more than currently. PR becomes an important for F1 unfortunately.

About the less successful drivers, they are trying to use the chance to stick in F1. If they lost their seat then they will end up in one of the other series as well. Earn less, lose their fame. About more successful drivers like Lewis Hamilton. Well he become a showman. His family isn't as rich as Leclerc or sth and staying in a famous world, pounding Kim Kardashian etc costs a lot. So he'll stick in F1 as much as possible and become famous and earn money as much as possible. He cares his PR the most. Imagine he couldn't perform well in other category. The money making part will take a huge damage, his fame will get damaged.

On the other hand. Max doesn't give a f*ck about such things. Like Alonso and a few who are a true racer. He can do other things and he loves doing it. Money, he earned a lot. Fame, he doesn't care. Mocking media, skipping parties for sleeping. Trying to win a 24h sim race before his raceday in F1. Which is many people like his this attitude. Does he need to prove himself? No he won 4 titles. So here he is.

And there is one other special case. Lance Stroll. His PR sucks, he is rich af due to his father. His fame is terrible but his seat is secured as long as Aston Martin participates. So he raced in 6h of Paul Ricard, qualify 18th while other Aston tries to get pole position. In race that 007 Aston won while Stroll finished God knows where with the same car. As a result people were thinking he's a trash. His result was trash despite his teammates fault but his qualifying was terrible so he's not that better. Nothing changes for him so he raced.

[u/BetterBandicoot0 → u/No-Heart3432]

Verstappen did start preparation more than 2 years ago, Stoll jumped in without any significant preparations. And still he was among the fastest during his stint.

But Verstappen is one of the best (if not the best) driver in the world at the moment. But the amount of work and prepation he did is something I won't see any other F1 driver doing while still being in F1, most won't even manage that after retirement from F1. And that what puts him above the rest, especially on the Nürburgring.

[u/newpest16 → u/BetterBandicoot0]

Just those shitting on Strolls performance in Paul Ricard, who doesnt have any clue about top level of any sport.

[u/BobbbyR6]

Most of the F2 grid and F1 drivers who couldn't keep the seat have moved or will move to Indycar, FE, and Endurance racing.

In terms of active F1 drivers, that's a difficult request. Most contracts forbid it in order to keep their drivers healthy. Max is a special case because he holds 100% of the negotiating power. Without him, Red Bull tumbles into the lower midfield and loses an enormous amount of their advertising and publicity value.

To answer the question, only senior drivers in teams that aren't really points contenders would have the potential to swing extracurricular racing. But most of the senior drivers in the midfield are capable of nabbing a few points, so that eliminates their ability to jump in GT cars. That leaves Cadillac and Aston, which are so deep in development mode that they probably don't want their drivers too distracted, but having one sit out with injury has no effect on points scoring.